Housing for a reel of metal measuring tape

ABSTRACT

An improved housing for a reel of measuring tape. The housing has a base member which holds a slotted pin to support the return spring. A frame is held at the edge of the base member and has an opening for the measuring tape to be reeled in and out. A portion of the frame also forms a portion of the cover. An upper base and cover member is held against the frame to complete the housing for the measuring tape. The construction has the advantage of permitting the assembler to hold the spring as well as the measuring tape at about a right angle with respect to the slotted pin. This makes the manufacturing process safer and less costly.

This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 08/093,560, filed on Jul.19, 1993, now abandoned.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The field of the invention is measuring tapes and the invention relatesmore particularly to the construction of the housing of measuring tapesof the type which contain a return spring.

The most common housings for measuring tapes have two half housingswhich each have a wall extending to the midsection of the housing. Thisforces the manufacturer to wind the spring and the tape on the slottedpin in the center of the housing at an angle. This results in ahazardous assembly operation which is both unnecessarily slow and thecause of some injury to assembling personnel.

Many construction of measuring tapes are known. U.S. Pat. No. 1,988,428shows a measuring tape held in a housing with no return spring but aconfining belt is used to hold the reel of tape in any position. U.S.Pat. No. 2,172,043 shows a spring reel tape measure which has a basewith an upwardly extending side wall.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,073,544 shows a tape which converts to a circularmeasuring member after it has been withdrawn from its container. U.S.Pat. No. 3,164,907 shows a tape housing with a novel method of holdingthe tape in any desired degree of extension as does U.S. Pat. No.3,220,112. Lastly, U.S. Pat. No. 3,443,316 shows a hinge construction ofa housing for measuring tape.

None of the above designs provides a safe and efficient method forwinding the spring and tape into the housing and thus, a better designis needed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is for an improved housing for a reel of measuringtape of the type which has a base which supports a slotted pin whichholds the inner end of a tensioning spring. A measuring tape supportingroller has an inner compartment for the tensioning spring and themeasuring tape passes around the outer surface of the tape supportingroller. A base member has a flat base supporting a slotted pin. The basemember has a peripheral edge which extends only slightly above the flatbase. A frame is held at the peripheral edge of the base member andextends upwardly a distance sufficient to surround the tape supportingroller. The frame has a lower edge which meets with the base member andan upper edge. The frame also includes a measuring tape exit slot and acover portion adjacent the measuring tape exit slot. A cover member hasa flat top and a peripheral edge which abuts the upper edge of theframe, and means are provided for securing the base member, the frameand cover member together. Preferably, the cover member has a cutoutwhich abuts the cover portion of the frame member.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of the improved tape measure ofthe present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the exterior thereof.

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of a prior art tape measureassembly.

FIG. 4 is a side view partly in cross section of a prior art tapemeasure housing showing the assembly of the spring thereon.

FIG. 5 is a view analogous to FIG. 4 except that the tape measurehousing of the present invention is utilized.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The measuring tape of the present invention is shown in an explodedperspective view in FIG. 1. The housing has a lower base 11 which has anouter peripheral edge 12 which includes a ridge 13. A slotted pin 14 issupported by lower base 11 and holds the end 15 of spring 16. The end 17of measuring tape 18 is held by the tab 19 at the end of the spring in aconventional manner. The spring passes through opening 20' in ring 20 ofroller 21. End 15 passes into the slot of slotted pin 14 in aconventional manner as discussed in more detail below. Roller 21 has anupper flange 22 and a lower flange 23 which hold the measuring tape 18securely on ring 20. A round plate 24 is held above the coiled spring16. A frame 25 has a peripheral groove 26 along both the upper and loweredges thereof into which ridge 13 on the lower base 11 fits and ridge 27on upper base 38' also fits. Frame 25 has a measuring tape opening 28formed between wall portions 29 and 30. There is an opening 31 intowhich the tape locking device 32 is placed. The knurled knob 33 may bepushed up or down to hold the tape in a desired position in a manneranalogous to conventional tape measures. A tube 34 provides a framesupport and an alignment cylinder. One of the screws 35 which passesthrough one of the holes 36 also passes through the frame support andalignment tube 34. Tube 34 is molded integrally with frame 25. A coverportion 37 is also molded integrally with frame 25 and passes over themeasuring tape opening 28 to support wall portion 30. Cover portion 37provides a minor cover member and the cover plate 38 provides the majorcover member. The cover plate 38 has a cutout 39 which mates with coverportion 37 when cover plate 38 and upper base 38' are installed inplace. Two threaded pins 40 hold upper base 28 in place with two of thescrews 35. One of the screws 35 passes through alignment tube 34 offrame 25, connecting hole 36 to pin 40, securing this way together lowerbase 11, frame 25 and upper base 38'.

The exterior of the measuring tape assembly is shown in FIG. 2 andindicated by reference character 10.

A prior art measuring tape is shown in FIG. 3 and has a base 41 whichsupports a slotted pin 42. Raised sides 43 extend to about the midpointof the assembled tape measure and an opening 45 is provided in the sidethereof for passage of the measuring tape 46. Tape 46 is held on aroller 47. The position of the intake spring is indicated by referencecharacter 48. An upper half 49 has sides 50 which also pass about to themidpoint of the assembled measuring device. Screw holes 51 permit thepassage of screws into threaded screw supports 52.

The difficulty with the prior art is shown by comparing FIGS. 4 and 5.The prior art assembly method is shown in FIG. 4 where the base 41 issecured in a cavity in a revolving table 53. The spring 16 is insertedinto slotted pin 42 and as table 53 turns, spring 16 is wound aboutslotted pin 42. It can be seen that spring 16 must be held at an angleabove the horizontal and this operation is very difficult for theoperator since the spring 16 is quite stiff. Accidents can result fromthis operation and the speed with which the operator can assemble a tapemeasure is severely diminished by the necessity of holding spring 16 atan angle. It should be noted that as the table is turned, the pin 42turns with table 53 but roller 47 is held in a non-turning manner untilthe section end of the ring portion of roller 47.

In contrast, the assembly of the present invention permits spring 16 tobe wound on slotted pin 14 in a horizontal and safe manner. Then afterthe assembly is completed, frame 25 is slipped onto base 11 with thetape locking device 32 in place. Next, the cover plate 38' is insertedand screws 35 are tightened to complete the assembly.

The result of the use of the construction of the present invention is atape measure which is fully as useful as the prior art tape measure butwhich provides a far safer manufacturing process. It also increases therate of production because of the ease of the assembly.

The present embodiments of this invention are thus to be considered inall respects as illustrative and not restrictive; the scope of theinvention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by theforegoing description. All changes which come within the meaning andrange of equivalency of the claims are intended to be embraced therein.

What is claimed is:
 1. An improved housing for a reel of measuring tapeof the type which has a base member which supports a slotted pin which,in turn, holds an inner end of a tensioning spring, a measuringtape-supporting roller having an inner compartment for confining thetensioning spring and an outer surface for holding a coiled length ofmeasuring tape, a tensioning spring which is coiled by feeding itthrough an opening in the measuring tape supporting roller, and turningthe slotted pin with respect to the roller, and a measuring tape,wherein the improvement comprises:said base member having a flat basewhich supports said slotted pin, said base member having a peripheraledge which extends an insubstantial amount above said flat base; a framewhich is completely separate from said base member during assembly butwhen assembled is held at the peripheral edge of said base member andextends upwardly a distance to surround said tape-supporting roller,said frame having a lower edge which mates with the base member and anupper edge and said frame including a measuring tape exit slot and saidframe also including a minor cover member adjacent said measuring tapeexit slot; a measuring tape supporting roller supported by said slottedpin, said roller having a circular ring having a slot sufficiently largefor the tensioning spring to pass through and said circular ring havingan upper flange at an upper end and a lower flange at a lower end; anupper base and a major cover member having a flat top and a peripheraledge which peripheral edge abuts said upper edge of said frame and saidbase member being completely separate from said upper base duringassembly so that the base member can be turned on a table without anyupper base being affixed thereto; and means for securing the basemember, the frame and the upper base and major cover member together. 2.The improved housing for a reel of measuring tape of claim 1 whereinsaid upper base and cover member includes a cut-out of the same size andshape as the cover portion of said frame so that when the housing isassembled a portion of the cover is formed by the cover portion of saidframe and the balance of the cover is formed by said cover member. 3.The improved housing for a reel of measuring tape of claim 1 whereinsaid frame member includes at least one frame support and alignmentcylinder.
 4. The improved housing for a reel of measuring tape of claim3 wherein said frame has four comers, an inner surface and an outersurface, and said frame support and alignment cylinder is positioned atone of said four comers at the inner surface of the frame.
 5. Theimproved housing for a reel of measuring tape of claim 1 furtherincluding a tape locking device supported by said lower base, said upperbase and said frame, said tape locking device having a knurled operatinghandle.
 6. The improved housing for a reel of measuring tape of claim 5wherein said frame has four sides, one of said sides including saidmeasuring tape exit slot, and said side which contains said measuringtape exit slot has an opening through which said knurled operatinghandle extends.